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national poetry month

We have a wealth of resources at Doherty to help aspiring writers develop their poetic voices. If you’re looking for some inspiration, try reading new poetry in a literary magazine or journal. You can access full-text articles from some of the top journals in the field through the library website:

Exploring U.S. Poets Laureate and their changing roles over the years.

The position of poet laureate of the United States is somewhat different from that of Britain, where the title was first established in the 17th century. Whereas the British office renders the laureate a salaried member of the British royal household, the United States poet laureate acts as the chair of poetry for the Library of Congress.*

In the U.S., the poet laureate is charged with raising “the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry.” The poet is chosen yearly by the Librarian of Congress. The position was instituted in 1937 as the consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress and was held by 30 poets before an act of Congress in 1985 changed the name to poet laureate.**

Charles Wright (2014 – )

Charles Wright (2014–), photographed above is our current poet laureate in the United States, here are a few notable poets to explore:

Robert Penn Warren (Laureate 1944-45 and 1986-1987) – Best known for his Pulitzer Prize winning work of fiction All the Kings Men, Warren was also regarded as one of the best poets of his generation. His works were often inspired by Southern history and Southern life.

Gwendolyn Brooks (Laureate 1985-1986) – Gwendolyn Brooks was a highly regarded poet with the distinction of being the first African-American author to win the Pulitzer Prize and the first black woman to hold the position of Poet Laureate. Many of Brooks’s works display a political consciousness, especially those from the 1960s and later, with several of her poems reflecting the civil rights activism of that period.

Billy Collins (Laureate 2001-2003) – Dubbed “the most popular poet in America” by Bruce Weber in the New York Times, Billy Collins is famous for conversational, witty poems that welcome readers with humor but often slip into quirky, tender or profound observation on the everyday, reading and writing, and poetry itself.

Many debates and exchanges have shaped Latin American poetry over the years. A number of its most powerful movements are expressions of cultural and political conflicts surrounding the evolution of Latin American and national identities. Although there are examples of poetry from this region dating back to the pre-Columbian era, it was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that Latin American poetry took its place on the world stage.

Use the links below to discover some of Latin America’s most notable poetic voices:

Ruben Dario (Nicaragua) – Considered the father of the Latin American modernism movement, Dario fused traditional poetic style with new innovations in imagery and rhythm.

Gabriela Mistral (Chile) – Gabriela Mistral was the first Latin American author to receive the Nobel Prize in literature; as such, she will always be seen as a representative figure in the cultural history of the continent.

Pablo Neruda (Chile) – One of Latin America’s most prolific and well-known poets, Neruda led a life charged with poetic and political activity. He received many prestigious awards throughout his lifetime, including the International Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Octavio Paz(Mexico) – Often nominated for the Nobel Prize in his lifetime, Mexican author Octavio Paz enjoyed a worldwide reputation as a master poet and essayist.

Thomas Merton – A monk who lived in isolation for several years and one of the most well-known Catholic writers of the twentieth century, Thomas Merton was a prolific poet, religious writer, and essayist.